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   general

   /ˈdʒɛn(ə)rəl/

   adjective

   • 1. affecting or concerning all or most people or things; widespread: "books of general interest" Similar widespreadcommonextensiveuniversalwidepopularpublicmainstreamprevalentprevailingrifeestablishedwell establishedconventionaltraditionaltraditionalistorthodoxacceptedin circulationin forcein voguecomprehensiveoverallacross the boardblanketumbrellamasstotalcompletewholesalesweepingpanoramicbroadbroad-rangingextendedinclusiveall-inclusiveall-roundgenericoutrightencyclopedicindiscriminatecatholicuniversalglobalworldwideinternationalnationwidecountrywidecoast-to-coastcompany-wideOpposite restrictedlocalized
   • ▪ not specialized or limited in range of subject, application, activity, etc.: "brush up on your general knowledge" Similar miscellaneousmixedassortedvariegateddiversifiedcompositeheterogeneousOpposite specialist
   • ▪ (of a rule, principle, etc.) true for all or most cases.
   • ▪ normal or usual: "it is not general practice to confirm or deny such reports" Similar usualcustomaryhabitualtraditionalnormalconventionaltypicalstandardregularfamiliaracceptedprevailingroutinerun-of-the-millfixedsetestablishedconfirmedeverydayordinarycommonstockwell worntime-honouredpopularfavouriteOpposite exceptional
   • 2. considering or including only the main features or elements of something; not exact or detailed: "the arrangements were outlined in very general terms" Similar broadimpreciseinexactroughsweepingoverallloosebasicapproximatenon-specificunspecificvaguehazyfuzzywoollyill-definedindefiniteunfocusedinformal:ballparkrare:undetailedOpposite detailed
   • 3. chief or principal: "the Director General of the BBC"

   noun

   • 1. a commander of an army, or an army officer of very high rank.
   • ▪ a high rank of officer in the army and in the US air force, above lieutenant general and below field marshal, general of the army, or general of the air force.
   • ▪ short for lieutenant general or major general informal
   • ▪ the head of a religious order organized on quasi-military lines, e.g. the Jesuits, the Dominicans, or the Salvation Army.
   • 2. the general public. archaic

   Word Origin Middle English: via Old French from Latin generalis, from genus, gener- ‘class, race, kind’. The noun primarily denotes a person having overall authority: the sense ‘army commander’ is an abbreviation of captain general, from French capitaine général ‘commander-in-chief’.

   Scrabble Points: 8

   • G

     2

   • E

     1

   • N

     1

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • L

     1

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